Improvement in electro-magnetic bathing apparatus



,UNITED STAT-13s lPATENT OFFICE.

.mains yonne, on NEWYORK, N. Y. p

IMPROVEMENT 4|N.,ELECTR-IVIGNETIC BATl-HNG APPARATUS.

Speeiiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 32,332, dated May 14, 1861.

. To all tchom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES YONG, ot' New York, in the county ot' New ,York and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved-- Electro-Magnetic BathingApparatus; andl do hereby declarethat the following is afull, clear,

' and exact description ot' the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this'speciiication, in which- Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the saine. i

Similarlettersoi' reference in both li gures indicate corresponding parts.

The tub A is suspended from rods a it', which i connectI with rock-shafts b, the ends ot' which are insulated by surroundingthem with glass -firany othernon-conductor of electricity. Said rock-shafts 'have their bearin gs on the upper notched surface of longitudinal timbers l, or

they may bearrangedin any other manner pro-` ened by a hook or it may be lowered down on the posts c, which are made of glass or some other non-conductor, i-n order to preserve the insulation of the tub.

Rails a* are attached to the top of the sides of the tub, extending and`projectin g over inside and outsidc--inside to prevent the water splashing over onto the operator orthe iioor. on the outside to form a hand-rail, useful to the patients hands to help themselves to get into or out of the tub or sit upon the same to be dried oit' by themselves or by an attendant.

This top rail is a very essential pa'rt ol' my invention, since without it, in administering an electric bath, paralyzed patients are liable to make a Wave and splash the water out on the floor and to make the feet of the operator damp, whereby asort of connection between the operator and the heavy charge in the tub is created,

and consequent-ly the operator lwill receive a very heavy, annoying shoek,ot'ten1aming both or three weeks. Now, with the use of this top rail, at the end ot' a days bathing of eighteen patient-s the floor isjust as dry in the evening as it was in the morning. l

plate, C, and with a foot-plate, D, and a steamjacket, E, may be placed into the interior of the tub, as clearly shown in Fig. l in the drawings. lhe sides of this steam-jacket are perforthe steam or air, and those holes which pass 'through the wooden sides of the jacket may be protected by metallic eyes c, to prevent said holes becoming ragged and enlarged by the manipulations necessary to cleanse the tub. The foot-plate f of the steam-jacket E is also of electricity,and itis perforated with a immber ot' small holes, the same as the head-plate G of the tub, and both the `foot-plates ot' the steam-jacket Iand of the tub are inclined from the bottoni up toward the head-plate, so as to conform to the position of the feet of the patient while iniiuenced by electricity.

The metallic head-plate C of the tub is placed in an inclined position, as clearly shown in Fig. l in the drawings, and ittermimates a little above the bottom ofthe tub, and it is elevated above the head of the tub, so as to leave a space, g, between it and the head of the tub. This steam-space communicates with the space bethe-steam or air surrounding the steam-jacket iinds itsway under' the head-plate C and through the holes in the same to the lliead ot' the patient. A slide, h, which passes down behind the head-plate serves to eut oit the communication between thc space around the steamjacket and the space behind the headplate (l, so that the head ot' the patient can be exposed to the direct action of the steam `or deemed necessary. 'lhe legs and the hips or the back of the patient are in contact with metallie plates 'i i', attached to straps 11, which are adjustable in a longitudinal direction on Secured to the top edge ot' thetub, and near arms and causing them to be very weak for two The tubis provided with a metallic headated with a number of small. holes, c to admit made ot' metal or of some other good conductor tween vthe vsteam-jacket and the tub, so that A air or protected from the saine as may he' side rails,j, in theinteriorot'the steam-jacket E.

toits head,is the standard G, bent atright a eases angles and provided with a ring or socket to receive the funnel-shaped vessel H. Thisvessel terminates in a tube, 7c, which is provided with a stop-cock, 1,'and to the end ot' which a rose, m, of any desired form and construction may be attached. The object of this vessel is to treat in particular the eyes, ears, or 'other' portions of the head of the patient with inag` netized water, hot, cold, or tepid. The standf ard G is so arranged that the vessel H can be turned over the'head ofthe patient or that it may be turned back out of the .way when itis nt-needed. v,

Afan,l, attached to the rodsa, and operated lbyineaus of a cord, n, passing through a loop that is secured to the wall, serves to cool thel head vof the patient, in case such cooling is found necessary.

n The tub Ais provided'witha covenJ, made in several sections, and that section of the cover nearest to the head of the tub is provided with any-aperture to admit the head of thepae tient. -In cases wherea watenbath is applied, the body of the patientis protected by a wooleu blanket, K, covered with oil-cloth, fo;` the-purpose of preventing an escape of electricity'and to'keep comfortable every part of the patints body. `The water,.steam, vapor, or hot air is cetsL.`vf--- .n

The .connectionot' this bathing apparatus admitted to' the tubV through one of the faul with the'battery, and' i-ts gperation, is as fol'- lows:` l n The positive pole of a battery connects by 4means of a tvire,\10, with one end of the outer l wireof an electrotnagneuM, and the other end of this wireconnectsthrough awire,11, with one arm, n, of the switch N. The negative pole of" the `battery connectsrhy a wire,A 12, with'one y end of the inner'wire ot theelectro-magnet,

and the other end of thislin ner wire connects .by the wire 13, with the other arm, n', of th'e i switch N. The'switch N operates between-l two plates, o o', anditis operated -by a cord, p, which isconnectedr to two standards, p', that l are secured to the side ot' the tub A. This `cord passes through two loops, pit, on the topv or end of a standard,` Ht, which rises from'the ametal strip, q. Boththese strips arcat-4 tached to a slat, O, of Wood or other non-conducting material, which is attached to the wall or to any other convenient piace on the side v*of the tub A. The slat O forms the bcarin s forthe brakes agr', r2, r3, r4, r5, andnr", Whih 'serve to pass the currentthrough the whole or through certain parts of the body of the patient The brake r connects through the wire` 16 with the foot-plat@ D of the tub A. 'rhebrake r' connects through the wire 17 with the foot-platef of the steam-jacket E. The brake r2 connects through the wire 18 with the plate t', which forms the support for the legs et the patient. The brakcr3connects through the wire 19'with a ball, s, inclosed inta sponge, s or with a catheter, s, or with other similar devicesfor rubbing or treatin g certain particular parts of the human body. The brake r4 con- -nects' thrcugh the wire 20 with the plate t',

which forms the support for the back or hips of the'p'atient. The brake v5 connects through the wire 21, with the head-plate C ot' the tub,

and the brake r6 connectsy through the-wire 22 with the funnel-shaped vessel H.

'It must be remarked that the sponge s is wrapped round a copper ball, s, the object be ing to enable the operator to handle a much `heavier charge of electricity without having his hands cramped than he can when the sponge is simply attached to the ends ot' the connecting-wire.

lIt' the steam-jacket is used, and if it is desired toy pass a current through the whole body of the patient, the-brake r5 is turned up on the strip q, and the brake r is turned down ou the strip q', as shown in Fig. l in the drawings, andthe switch N is turned so as to bring the a'rin n in contact with the plate o', and the l arnu a in contact with the plate o. The current will now pass through the wires 10 11 14, and throughthe strip q and wire 2l. to the .head-plate thence through the liquid contained inthel tub and through the body of the patient to the foot-plate f, and throughI the wire 17, strip g', wires 15, 1,3, and 12, back to the negative pole of thebattery. .if an oscillating motion is now imparted to the tub, the

switch N is changed, and the arm n comes iu contact with.4 the plate o', and the arnt n in contact with the plate o', and the current passes through theV wires 10, 11, and 15 to the strip? q', thence through the wire 17 to the foot-plate f,

and through the body of the patient to the headplate (l, and through the'wire 21, strip q, and wires 14, 13, and 12 back to the batteryf This change takes place for everyoscillationf of the tub, and alternate currents running in opposite directions are passed through' the bodyct" the patient. The effects of these opposing currents are'such that the electric waves of the current annui those of the other in the center oi' the tub, and' that nopalpable effectl is produced on those portions of the body'which are situated 1n the center of the tub, and that the sensation increases toward either end. The

tender parts of the body-Stich as the kidneys,d

the spleen, the liver, 8va-which are situated at or near the-center of the tub, are not affected by the current, and yet certain desired effects are produced onv the extremities of the body.

It' it is desired to treat particularly some 'portions' of the 'head-such as the eyesor ears-the funnel-shaped vesselli is brought i into the current by turning the brake r6 upon n flicted parts.

Haasse f 3 the strip q, and turning oft the brake r". The

contents of the vessel H are now directed ou the addicted parte byturniug the faucet l, and` the current passes through said contents,and

the body ot' the patient to the foot-plate Land through the wire 17, strip .1', wires 15, 13,and 12 back to the battery. .In the samexlnunner the bips, or those Aportions of the body'vliich" aresituated at or near the center of `the tub, or the legs may be treated particularly.

For treating the kidneys the current is,` passed through the metallic plate i, and this plate is moved up or down until it comes right under the aiiiicted part, and `for'treat-iiug the legs the current is passed through the plate t',

said' plate being adjusted in a longitudinal direction, so as to come precisely under the ai- In some cases it is desirabletorub certain portions of the body or to treat such parts which can only be reached by a catheter or by other similar instruments; audio order to produce the desired eect the brake r3 is turned on, so as to bring the wire 19 into the current. By these means provision is made to treat every part of the bodyseparately or to pass `arcurrent through the entire-body, and an ordinary current running in one direction may be used y or, by giving to the tub an oscillating motion, alternate currents running in opposite directions, wit-h instantaneous changes from the positive to the negative pole, may beproduced,

according to the disease of the patient and according to the more or less powerful eect which itis desired to produce, and according to the nature of thellelix, which may be such as to give a directora to-and-fro current.

Having thus fui-1y described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination ot' a bath-tub with noni conducting sides and bottom, with metallic conducting ends., each end attached the head to the positive and the foot to the negative pole of a helizr, or vice versa, substantially' as and` for the purpose set forth.

The employment of insulated rock-shafts 1b, applied in combination with the supporting- "ro'ds a. e', and with the tub A, substantially herein described, for the purpose of imparting to the tub an osciilating motion, while, at the .saliietime.,4 its insulation is piyserved.

3. The arrangement of the adjustable nie- `tallic plates t' 'i' in the steam-jacket E, in com- N, and electro-magnet M that by the oscillat ing motions of the-tub the current is changed. 7. The combination of the bathing-tub A,

electro-magnet M,metal strips q q', and brakes r r r2 r3 r4 T5 @constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

8. So arranging the top rail, ai, on the sides ot' the tub that the same projects over inside and outside', in the manner and for the purpose described.

JAMES Yonne..

`Witnesses:

M. M. LiVINGs'roN, L. W. BEDRE. 

